1. Technical Field
This invention relates to leash and collar assemblies and, more particularly, to an illuminated modular dog leash and collar assembly for allowing a caregiver and bystanders to easily identify an animal during low ambient light conditions.
2. Prior Art
Pet owners, particularly dog owners, take their animals for walks as recreation on generally a daily basis. Very often, such walks are taken beyond or before daylight hours. Today's busy and bustling society makes demands upon many persons who choose to keep pets such as dogs and the like such that they do not have the opportunity on a daily basis to walk their animal during daylight hours. At night, visibility becomes an issue due to significant, if not heavy, automobile and other vehicle traffic in even rural areas. If a person or animal cannot be seen by a driver of such a vehicle, the risk of accident is particularly serious when crossing the street or otherwise. To remedy this vulnerability, lights and/or reflectors have been attached to collars, leashes, clothing, etc. in order to give the person or animal greater visibility to oncoming traffic. Such lights and/or reflectors are generally used to provide visibility of the wearer for oncoming traffic.
One prior art example shows a dog collar flashlight for providing illuminating light sufficient to perceive and visually detect items on the ground and adjacent the animal to which the dog collar flashlight is attached. A dog collar flashlight has an illuminating light that goes far beyond the providing of mere visibility but allows the visual detection of objects illuminated by the light such as cracks in the sidewalk, obstacles in the path of the dog wearing the dog collar flashlight, and the activation of reflective material by the illuminating light. The light is controlled by a selectable switch and is housed along with the switch in a casing that allows a collar to engage in the dog collar flashlight. Collar-engaging loop portions attached to the dog collar flashlight case allows a collar to engage the dog collar flashlight and fix the dog collar flashlight to the dog or other animal. Unfortunately, this prior art example poses a safety hazard to drivers if the light is shined into a driver's eyes while operating a motor vehicle.
Another prior art example shows an illuminated pet harness that comprises the use of a neck and body collar strap structure arranged for securement about an animal's neck and torso region respectively, having a connecting web extending between the neck and collar straps. If desired, alternatively only a neck collar strap may be employed by the invention as opposed to a full body harness as indicated. The straps include top and bottom layers secured at their side portions to define a cavity therethrough, having a fiber optic core, with the fiber optic core directed to at least one battery housing, such that at least one illumination bulb within the battery housing directs illumination onto the fiber optic core that in turn projects illumination through a plurality of lenses directed through a top layer web of each of the straps. Unfortunately, the use of fiber optics makes this design susceptible to damage, as well as prohibitively expensive for most pet owners.
Accordingly, a need remains for an illuminated modular dog leash and collar assembly in order to overcome the above-noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing an assembly that is convenient and easy to use, is lightweight yet durable in design, and allows a caregiver and bystanders to easily identify an animal during low ambient light conditions. Such an assembly effectively increases the safety of owners and pets when walking in darkened conditions. The assembly advantageously provides a highly visible means for passing motorists to discern the presence of an animal, thus providing a driver with ample warning to slow a vehicle and avoid an accident or injury to a pet or owner. The present invention is simple to use, inexpensive, and designed for many years of repeated use.